Walmart

Photo: Greg Foran, Walmart U.S. president and CEO

Apple did not create the mobile payment market when it launched Apple Pay in September 2014.

However, Apple Pay did effectively bring mobile payment to the forefront of retailers’ omnichannel commerce strategies. Consumers are slowly starting to follow, with Deloitte data showing in-store mobile payments have increased from 5% of total in-store payments 2014 to 18% in 2015.

The number of U.S. businesses with solar energy installations grew to a new high in 2015. Enterprises ranging from family-run companies to some of the country’s biggest corporations are producing their own energy, cutting operating expenses and achieving environmental sustainability.

A recent report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) provides data and insights into the diverse mix of corporate offices, office buildings, retail, manufacturing, data centers, distribution and logistics centers, and convention centers that have gone solar.

Personal information of some Walmart online pharmacy customers reportedly may have been visible online during a four-day period in February 2016.

According to Reuters, a coding mistake may have exposed basic information such as name, address, date of birth, and prescription history of fewer than 5,000 consumers. The error potentially allowed online Walmart pharmacy customers to view each other’s data if they were logged into their accounts at the same time. Social security numbers and full payment card or health insurance information were not visible.

Market Track compared retail circular advertising in February 2016 vs. February 2015 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains.

Kohl’s added four comparable circulars in February 2016, promoting mainly short duration sales like “50% Two-Day Sale,” “Doorbusters,” and “Make a Point to Shop.” They attempted to leverage their rewards program with 3X the points during the “Make a Point to Shop” sales.

Target Corp. is hiring Arthur Valdez, a 16-year veteran of Amazon.com, as executive VP, chief supply chain and logistics officer.

Valdez will lead Target’s supply chain transformation including planning, distribution and transportation. He will report to Target’s executive VP and COO John Mulligan.

If you want to improve your SMS marketing, you should take a look at Walmart; they’ve got some dynamite strategies. Walmart’s SMS offerings are broad, yet each either solves a problem or reduces a pain point traditionally associated with in-store shopping.

In-Store Product Info via SMS
Walmart has developed an SMS-based system called Simple Text that allows mobile users to send a text to a phone number posted in-store to receive product location and information.